iPhone could get worse under Justice Department lawsuit

• The Department of Justice has accused Apple of illegally maintaining a smartphone monopoly.
• The lawsuit could force Apple to make its ecosystem more accessible to outside companies.
• Some critics of the lawsuit believe it could worsen the quality of the iPhone, leading to security concerns and a less seamless experience.

The US Department of Justice is trying to force Apple to open up its ecosystem.

But is that what iPhone users really want?

The Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday. The suit alleges that Apple illegally built a smartphone monopoly by “slowing, degrading, or outright blocking” other companies’ technology.

If the lawsuit is successful, Apple could be forced to take steps to make its products more available to outside companies. For example, Apple could be required to remove green bubble text from Android smartphones or allow the presence of other wallet options or app stores on smartphones.

Apple, for its part, argued that the Justice Department’s lawsuit could cause everything from security and privacy concerns to a poor user experience for iPhone users.

“This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that make Apple products stand out in a fiercely competitive marketplace,” Apple said in a statement to Business Insider. “If successful, it would impede our ability to develop technology at the intersection of hardware, software, and services that people have come to expect from Apple.”

In other words, Apple is essentially saying it will be forced to make inferior iPhones.

So what would that look like?

Might make it easier to accidentally download spyware

If the Justice Department’s lawsuit is successful, changes similar to those seen under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) could be made to iPhones in the United States. The DMA is a regulation aimed at keeping high-tech markets fair and competitive by thwarting “gatekeepers.” ”

Earlier this month, Apple slammed the EU’s new regulations in a 32-page white paper, saying that by complying with the DMA and allowing other app stores on its devices, iPhone users will have a number of security and security benefits, including: He said it would expose him to privacy issues. Increased risk of fake apps and scams, spyware, ransomware, pornography and other objectionable content.

“The new options we are introducing to comply with DMA necessarily mean that we cannot protect our users in the same way,” the company wrote, and some users have already expressed concerns about security. He said he was in touch. of new regulations.

Privacy protection measures could be hit

Apple has long warned that bypassing the App Store could raise security and privacy concerns. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2022 that competition laws that open up the iPhone to other app stores could undermine the company’s efforts to protect user information.

“This means companies that need your data will be able to circumvent our privacy rules and track you again against your will,” Cook said at the time.

Benedict Evans, a venture capitalist and technology analyst, said there are risks in giving developers the kind of freedom the Justice Department is seeking.

“Do we really want developers to do whatever they want with the devices that billions of people carry around every day?” Evans wrote in the thread, asking Apple to control its app ecosystem from third-party sources. Discussed party app stores and those who support forced opening to sideloading.

Non-seamless user experience

Some experts say the Justice Department’s lawsuit could also negatively impact Apple’s signature user experience.

Jennifer Huddleston, a technology policy researcher at the Cato Institute, a liberal think tank founded by the Koch brothers and which has previously sided with Apple in similar legal battles, told Business Insider that complaints from Apple users have been raised in light of the issue. He said he has already seen it. The EU’s new restrictions on Apple and the Justice Department’s lawsuit could have a similar impact in the US.

“At the end of the day, do we want government bureaucrats to play product designers, or do we want innovators and consumers to come up with the best design for consumers?” Huddleston said.

For example, to incorporate the new EU policy, Apple added a pop-up menu asking users if they would like to move to a competing service. This addition led to criticism from some users that Apple intentionally created a poor user interface to deter users who might choose a competitor’s service. Ta.

Additionally, Apple said apps downloaded outside the App Store may not integrate properly with the company’s other services, such as the option to set purchase limits in the App Store.

“If you are one of the millions of Americans who purchased an iPhone for its integrated features like Find My Phone, Apple Pay, iMessage, and integration with Airpods and Apple Watch, we hope this lawsuit fails. You better hope,” Adam Kovacevic said. CEO of the Chamber of Progress, a technology policy organization funded by Apple and other Big Tech companies; I have written At X.

Apple users may not want the Android experience

Huddleston told BI that the lawsuit could eliminate some of the differences between Apple’s smartphones and other smartphones on the market, noting that Apple’s focus on privacy and its simple design are some of the differences between Apple’s smartphones and other smartphones on the market. He pointed out that this is the main reason why consumers prefer this product.

Dave Lee wrote in a Bloomberg column that the Android experience, which he calls a “steamy mess,” isn’t for everyone, especially for “the less tech-savvy.”

“For example, would it be better for users if their credit cards, airline tickets, and IDs were stored in banks, airlines, and all other apps?” Lee wrote. “Or would it be better to keep them in a single wallet that we know is secure, like Apple is currently forcing us to do?”

Still, Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said that while the Justice Department’s lawsuit may have some benefits, especially for developers, ultimately do consumers want to be able to make their own choices? , or simply enjoy Apple’s curated experience.

“Apple is obsessed with the customer experience, so we maintain an ecosystem that tightly controls the experience, makes decisions on behalf of the customer, and consistently delivers the experience the brand promises,” Chatterjee told Fortune. “There is,” he said.